Nursing bricolage in twenty -first century Tanzania: How two new healthcare programs incorporate tribal culture, Western medicine and evangelism

As the world becomes increasingly globally connected nursing anthropology has come to the fore as a method of forming foundations that cross cultures. Increasing our understanding of the practice of nursing and nursing leadership is critical to forming a basis for our continued discourse. This study examines the development by one nurse of two healthcare programs which combine the disparate aspects of traditional culture, Western medicine and evangelism to reach a successful end.;The methodological tradition employed in this study is qualitative, ethnographic and case study based. Combining these methods allowed for increasing our understanding of the development by one individual of two healthcare programs within a specific cultural context. The cultural context is a Christian hospital located in a town in Tanzania. The area is heavily populated by indigenous tribes, the Maasai being the most prevalent. Background research on the culture of Tanzania and the Maasai was critical to understanding the context of the research environment. Data collection was accomplished through participant observation, formal and informal interviews, and photography.;The results of the research pointed out two core findings. First, understanding the culture in which one is developing programs is critical to the programs' success. The hospital where the case study took place was in a different cultural milieu than other areas of Tanzania where the Maasai culture is not as common. Understanding the Maasai culture and the impact this would have on the establishment of the healthcare programs was crucial to their success. Second, the concept of nursing leadership does not readily translate in Tanzanian culture. This may be related to the gender taxonomy of indigenous cultures where men take on decision making and leadership roles. It may also be based on a difference in the concept of leadership as defined by the West. To clarify the underlying reason for the difficulty in the translation of nursing leadership further research should be conducted. Additional research on this topic should also be considered in other cultures to ascertain the global translation of the Western concept of nursing leadership.